It was also during that week that each evening they had a solemn ceremony of lights where the Priests came into the outer courts, especially the court of women. They would light the candle sticks that were in various places through out that court and they would be quoting scriptures having to do with light and the times that God had intervened in behalf of His people with light. When God Himself made light and said, “Let there be light.” When God led Israel with a pillar of fire by night. And all those times when the divine light of God intervened through the Word of the Lord. They would read such scriptures and remind themselves of the light that comes from God above.

I’m glad for the times when the Lord Jesus Christ reaches down into the affairs of men in this world even in religious circles and breaks in. He breaks in with His presence and breaks in with His power and breaks in with His claims and breaks in with His divine Word to upset us and disturb us and turn us up side down, so to speak. He let’s us know when we’re missing the mark and when we’re not on the beam and when we’re not in the full light and when we’re not really operating in the full power of His Spirit. Amen!
I’m glad that Jesus lets us know when we’re off track. Aren’t you? That’s one of the beautiful things about Pentecostal worship. Because the Lord has a way of letting us know when we hit the main stream and oh, thank God what a beautiful and wonderful thing it is in a miraculous way when we hit the main stream of where God is moving and where He is blessing and how His Holy Spirit is working and we just get in it and flow with it. Hallelujah! That’s when you get blessed and that’s when you get he lped. I’m glad He can teach us that and let us know that. A lot of people have never found that out and they sometimes miss it but oh, thank God when Jesus breaks in to set us straight.

The Bible said that Jesus saw a man. I’m glad that He looks upon us for what we are and not as other people see us. I can have all kinds of opinions and ideas about you and I can jump to the wrong conclusions and I can do all kinds of things as I think about you but Jesus knows you and me. He knows exactly what we are, who we are, and He sees us as men and women before Him. I’m glad Jesus saw a man.

The disciples only saw a subject for theological debate. They said, “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he should be born blind.” They weren’t interested in his condition or his situation. Their main concern was to solve that age old eternal problem of good and evil in the universe. They wanted to explain why and perhaps to lay the blame where it was supposed to be as if that would do much good.
You can’t solve all the riddles in this universe and you can’t always understand why some things happen as they do. You can’t always interpret carefully the evil that’s in the world or the misfortunes that come or the trouble s that come. It’s not easy to look upon it theologically and understand it clearly. I don’t think the Lord wants us to waste a whole lot of time trying to figure so much out anyway.

That’s what these disciples wanted to do. “Who sinned,” they said, “his parents?” You see, the Rabbis in those days had such a mixture of teachings about these things until they thought that an unborn child could be mean. Perhaps he kicked too hard and was deformed. Or perhaps the mother would do some outlandish thing and the child would be deformed. So they were ready to lay the blame either on the child – the man who was blind – or else his mother.

But Jesus said it doesn’t matter who’s to blame. That’s not the point. I’m glad the Lord looks at things like He does. While we’re laboring and struggling over our hang-ups of what’s wrong, what caused it, and who’s to blame, some of us just steep ourselves in that kind of thinking day and night. We want to look at problems and we want to understand why it’s that way and who caused it – as if that would help. That doesn’t really help. You can understand the problem and who caused it and lay the blame all you want to but that won’t ease any pain, that won’t clear any confusion, and that won’t take away any stain or stigma of reproach. That won’t help a thing. It’s only when the grace of God and the power of God is put into operation that things begin to change that are worth while. Hallelujah!

Jesus does not want us to dwell in that whole cesspool of negativism and thinking that keeps us from seeing the works of God performed in our lives. So He rebuked them and said, “neither this man nor his parents but that the works of God could be made manifest in him.” You see Jesus saw a man who was a problem yet as a opportunity for the works of God to be manifested. Every problem that we face, every trouble we meet, every trial that comes, there lies within it the opportunity for God’s grace to abound.
Where sin does abound, God’s grace can much more abound. Where there is trouble, there is an opportunity for healing mercies of God to flow. Where there is condemnation and where there is failure, there is an opportunity for Christ Jesus to step in with power and authority to wash it away, hallelujah, and bring victory and grace by His glorious power. As far as Jesus is concerned, your problem is an opportunity for the power of God to be manifested and for the works of God to be wrought. Hallelujah.

Jesus took clay and made a mud poultice. He even spit on the clay and then just smeared it all over this man’s eyes and said, “Now, you go wash in the pool of Siloam.” Oh, hallelujah!
Ridiculous? Yes. Common place? Down to earth? Yes. But a miracle was about to take place. When that man acts upon what Jesus says, a miracle is going to take place no matter how foolish it may seem. When God tells you to do anything even if it seems silly or foolish, don’t argue with Him but obey Him and that’s when the miracle power of God is turned loose and put in operation. Hallelujah! Oh, praise His holy name.
I can just almost see that fellow as he went staggering off down through there toward that pool in a hurry and bumping into things. He wasn’t waiting and trying to feel his way this time. He was just a blundering and staggering on and people laughing at him and somebody hollering and saying, “Hey blind man. Where you going with that mud in your eye.” I can almost see him as he turns and says, “I’ll see you later.” He’s on his way to a miracle. Hallelujah! Would you say Amen? Oh hallelujah!

Let’s look first of all at the descent into darkness of the Jewish leaders. It’s a little bit sort of surprising because you see, three times in this chapter, they boast of their superior knowledge – Verses 16, 24 and 29. They say, “This man’s not of God,” as if they know it all and have the gift of discernment and all kinds of things you see. They say, “We know that this man is a sinner.” We know, we know, we know. Everybody that says I know or we know may not know what He’s talking about.
They said a third time, “We know that God spake to Moses, but as for this fellow, we know not from whence He is.” So here they are with their superior knowledge claiming to know and understand and yet all the while sinking down into unbelief and darkness. It is sad. It is tragic that some people in this world who claim to know the most are blind and deceived. They don’t know God in reality.

But look at these levels of darkness and unbelief that they went through. In verse six as they put this young man on the spot, they disagreed among themselves about how Jesus was or who He was, what kind of man he was, whether He was a sinner or not. This led to division and led in verse 18, to doubt. It says, “…they did not agree considering Him.”
And that led in verse 24 to disapproval. They said, “we know that this man is a sinner. We don’t approve of him. He doesn’t have the right credentials.” And it led finally in verse 34 to disowning. They said, “You’re all together born in your sins. Do you teach us? We who know so much – do you dare to teach us?” And they cast him out. They just simply disowned the man and cast him out of the Synagogue.

Now look at those steps. If you want to find the royal road to backsliding and even blasphemy, that’s it. Start out with disagreement. Start out with an attitude of disagreeing with God and His Word and His Will and disagreeing with the Holy Spirit and disagreeing with the church and how it operates and how God works and moves and leads and that will le ad to division and backbiting and all kinds of things which in turn within that kind of environment and context will lead to doubt.
Soon your very faith and your very soul will be challenged. After a while you will start looking with disdain at what is right and at God’s holiness and His people and His church. Look on with disapproval – then pretty soon you throw up your hand, wash your hands of the whole thing and disown it, push it out of your life. That is the road to backsliding – steps that lead down in unbelief and darkness.

(John 13:37, 38)
Even though Peter calls Him “Lord,” the Lord’s answer did not silence the overconfident disciple’s zeal. “Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.”
We cannot question Peter’s sincerity. His eagerness to fight the temple police and Roman cohort demonstrated his willingness to lay down his life as he said he would do. But the Lord had another host to fight that night. So he prophesied, “Wilt tho u lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.”

Simon Peter was absolutely determined within himself to bravely fight to his own death. In spite of the odds against him, “Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.”
Peter was determined to prove his faithfulness to the Lord by sacrificing his own life for Him. But even while he was ready to die for Him, he was yet denying the true Lordship of the Master. To Peter, the way of the fighting of the sword was better than the way of the suffering of the cross.

However, Jesus knew that neither the killing of the soldiers nor the sacrifice of the disciples’ lives could bring about the ultimate victory over the power of the enemy. “Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink It?”
The rebuke of the Lord was gentle but complete. It was not simply a matter of not fighting with the sword. Jesus’ will was now fully submitted unto the will of the Father with no reservations. Just as much as He would not allow the soldiers to destroy His sheep, neither would He allow the sheep to hinder the work of the Father. As Lord of all the earth He commanded both soldiers and sheep and all yielded to His authority.

(John 18:24-25)
      So as the servants and officers, who had built a fire, stood before the flickering flames of the coals in order to warm themselves from the cold of the night, John says “Peter stood with them, and warmed himself” (John 18:18).
      Note that the exact same expression is used here of Simon Peter that John also used of Judas. He says of both of them that they “stood with them” (see John 18:5). Even though Peter had determined within himself to follow the Lord even to death itself, when he tried to stand in his own strength, just like Judas, he “stood with them.”
      Furthermore, Simon Peter stood with them and “warmed himself.” Surely the Lord’s own soul was at that very moment tortured by the cold persecution of the hateful mob. John has just recorded that “one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand” (v. 22).
      But Peter could not feel the cold pain of the Lord of the earth – he only felt the cold chill of a frosty night and “stood with them” before the fire and “warmed himself.” Then, “They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not” (v. 25).
      When we “stand with them” who are of this world and “warm ourselves” by aware that we are not at that moment sharing the earth. To warm our fleshly body by the fire of the world is to insulate our soul from the compassionate and hurting heart of the Lord who is persecuted for our own sins.
      But know, oh child of God, that there is great danger in standing before the warmth of the world while the Saviour is slapped by the officer of the world’s high priest. If we stand with them and warm ourselves with them why should we think we will not also deny Him and say, “I am not!” the fire of this world let us be the cold hurt with the Lord of

(John 18:26)
Even after two denials it is recorded that “One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, said, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?”
It is no longer simply the suspicion of a maiden who thought he had a Galilean accent. Neither is it the general accusations of a larger group who were mainly interesting in satisfying their own physical needs. Now it is the pointing finger of an eyewitness. Furthermore, the witness was one who had seen Peter commit an act of treachery against his own kinsman. So the third time Peter denied the Lord of the earth.
Which one of us has not done as Simon Peter? It’s easy to worship Him as Lord when we can see Him working as Lord. In the Sunday morning worship hour we unite our voices and souls in determination to follow Him to even to death. On the spiritual battle field when the enemy has been overwhelmed by His word and fallen backward in His presence we can draw the sword of the spirit and smite the enemy’s head with the Word of God.
But how the picture changes when the Lord of the earth wills to work among the enemy of the earth and submit Himself to the cruel smiting of this world. When He stands silent before the wicked we come in late, and talk with the keeper of the door and
stand with them in the courtyard and warm ourselves by the fires of this world.
It’s marvelous to shout Hosanna as He marches in to the New Jerusalem of a revival service and heals the sick and saves the lost and feeds the hungry. But where do we stand when He is silent before the high priests of this world? Who do we stand with when cancer smites and He speaks no rebuke? Where do we warm our fleshly bodies when the cold night of Alzheimer’s chills our soul and the Lord is being spit upon? How do we answer when the Lord’s earthiness leads Him toward the cross?

The next three days were dark and torturous for all the disciples. But Peter must have groaned in agony, not only because of the Lord’s death but also of his own treachery. But Mark records a special message that was given to the three women at the tomb by the angels to take to the disciples and especially to Peter. “Go your way, tell His disciples AND PETER that he goeth before you into Galilee” (Mark 16:7).
      Even though he had denied Him before the damsel at the door; though he had denied Him and stood with the servants who warmed themselves by the fire; though he denied Him to the kinsman of the wounded servant of the high priest; though the cock had crowed as the Lord had said; even so, “Go your way, tell his disciples AND PETER!”
      So the Lord of the earth understands our own earthiness even though we might not understand Him. Though we may deny Him during His silence; though we may declare, “I am not,” when the “I Am” withholds His glory; though we may warm our bodies of flesh beside the warm flames of this world while He suffers in the cold darkness of persecution; nevertheless, the Lord sends His message, “Tell his disciples AND PETER.” “Tell them! Tell him! Tell her!” He says, “Tell them that I go before them. Go your way. There you shall see me!”

You see, that kind of attitude that says I know it all, God can’t help. But when you empty yourself of man’s knowledge and this world’s knowledge and you come to God and say, “Lord, I don’t understand and I don’t know, but I’m ready for you to teach me.” Then, revelation comes. Hallelujah!
So watch him as he moves step by step. On that first level, he only knows that he’s been healed and that it was a man called Jesus. On the second level, he believes that Jesus is a prophet. On the third level he says he’s a man of God and finally on the fourth level, he is bowing before Him and saying, “Lord.”
Now this is climbing in revelation and understanding and getting closer to God and having your whole life opened up! Oh, he’s seeing physical life but he’s seeing something worth more that physical sight. He’s seeing divine insight – divine revelation that comes from God on high. I say, “Oh Lord if we have to go into heaven blind, let us still go in able to see the truth in our hearts.”

I was a blind man’s pastor for six years. I preached about him a lot of times. His name is Dalton Short. He’s a man you would have been blessed to have known. Some of you may have known him. You would have been blessed to know this man. He taught me so much. He taught me how to be around a blind person and feel comfortable and help that blind person to feel comfortable. He taught me how to lead a blind person and help him through a door and not just go up to a door and try to push him through but put his hand on the door knob and let him turn it.
Did you realize that a blind man, when he goes up to an automobile and you are standing there with a door opened, he doesn’t know if the car is headed this way or that way. But if he opens the door, he knows and he knows how to get in. Simple things that I never knew and he taught me.
I’ve seen him when God would bless him in the Holy Spirit and he would be seeing far beyond this world. He would take his handkerchief and he would reach up and wipe those old sightless sockets. But then he’d sing, “I’m Holding To The Unseen Hand.” I used to play the piano, believe it or not. I used to play the piano while he would sing and he’d sing that song that says, “Face to Face With My Redeemer.” It would stir my heart and bless my soul.
At 17 or 18 years of age he was in a mining accident in those deep – veined coal mines in Southern Illinois. Apiece of steel penetrated one eye and into the other and he was blind. He spent many years in ministry blind. But oh, he could see with the eyes of his soul and by the fingers of faith he could touch God and he could reach up to heaven and he could see into eternity. Hallelujah! God help us to have eyes of faith that seek God and His reality whether we ever see the beauty of a flower or the beauty of a sunset with our physical sight.

So he arises that day. They put him on trial. First of all it was his neighbors. That’s the way it is when you start out for God. The first folks that hit are the folks at home and your neighbors right around you. If you can stand the test there, you can stand the test almost anywhere.
They said, “You know, that looks like the one who used to be blind.” The others said, “Well that is him.” And they said, “Well it looks like him.” They were confused. You see, it really lets you know how much attention they really paid the man before.
They said, “Tell us about it, tell us about it. Explain it to us.” He said, “I don’t know, it was just a man called Jesus. He anointed my eyes with clay and told me to go wash and I went and washed and I came back seeing.” They didn’t know what to do with it; the neighbors didn’t, so they decided well, since it happened on the Sabbath day they’d better get the priest in on it. They better bring him before the great church board and let them examine him and put him through the third degree.

So here they brought him and the Jews started in on him. They began trying to discredit his experience and trying to discredit Jesus Christ. They went on to talk about, “Well, we don’t know if this man is of God or What.” And he says, “Well it seems to me that he must be a prophet of God.” You see, he’s rising in enlightenment and understanding because the religious leaders are against Jesus and that’s a good recommendation for Jesus if that bunch is against him.
I want to tell you, some people are recommended to me if I know that some folks are against them. But if some folks are for you, it’s a bad reputation you’ve got. Oh, come on, don’t act so shocked. I’ve had people to tell me when I was a pastor, “Oh, you ought to get so and so for an evangelist,” and because they recommended it, I knew I didn’t need it.
The pressure gets turned on because the religious leaders soon turn to the parents. The parents are these sophisticated modern kind of people who want to remain in the good graces of the upper crust in society and they want to maintain their membership in the temple. So they are afraid to stick their neck out.
What it amounts to is, they push the whole burden of the young man’s experience upon his own shoulders and push him out in the cold and say, “He’s of age, ask him.” Strange thing, they’ve been looking out for him a long time. They’ve led him everyday to a place where he can beg. They’ve looked after him all this time. Now suddenly he’s grown up, he’s of age, ask him.
But you know, there are a lot of parents these days who don’t want to accept any responsibility for the spiritual development of their children. It’s a sad thing when young people have to step out on their own and fight the faith all alone and stand the test and go through the fire all by themselves. But listen, if that is your case tonight, you have a friend here who fought the battle and stood alone even with his parents standing on the side and not helping him.

Yet in that hour even while he was saying I don’t know, God was giving him knowledge. Even in that hour when he didn’t understand, God was giving him revelation. Even in that hour when he was weak and abouto fail, oh hallelujah, he was rising on wings of faith and revelation and finding God. Hallelujah! That’s the way God works.
In other words, when you get in a fight, that’s when you get the faith. When you get in a struggle, that’s when you get strength. That’s the way God works. Oh, hallelujah!
They sent for him and brought him again to the religious leaders. This time they’re saying to him, “Why don’t you come on and confess up and give God the glory? Because this man must be a sinner for him to do this on the Sabbath day. He must not be right because he does not go by our style and our program and our way.”
Listen to this man’s argument. I don’t know where he learned this, but he said, “It seems to me that this man must be a man of God because I want to tell you that since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” Here he is, he has come out of blindness, spiritual blindness as well, and now then suddenly he is a man that can see with both eyes and he is a theologian par excellence. He’s saying, “This man must be of God. If he weren’t he couldn’t do what he’s doing.”
And oh, I’m telling you, all of a sudden they’re just seething with anger and they’re ready to pounce on him. In fact, they do pounce on him and kick him clear out of the Synagogue. But in the process, he got in a word or two. He said, “Why don’t you be his disciples too?” And they said, “Oh, you lame brain ignoramus. You are altogether born in your sins. Do you dare to teach us? We are the great professors in the school of religion and you young up start–do you dare to teach us?”
You know there is something beautiful and wonderful about the boldness of a man who has just been touched by the Lord. Oh it’s positively amazing at the boldness of this man when suddenly he’s receiving divine revelation and he’s been touched with God on high. He doesn’t know a lot of things and he doesn’t know the answer to the question that the discip le started out with, but one thing he knows. He was blind and now he sees. Hallelujah!
He doesn’t know about the man who did it but he’s got the testimony to tell that it’s real. Oh, hallelujah! You may not can explain it; and don’t worry about ever explaining Pentecost. You can’t explain it. Just enjoy the experience, hallelujah, and leavethe explaining to somebody else and worship God and glorify God and let him bless your heart.

Look at this last step. Jesus heard they kicked him out. He came to him then and found him. All that time he was going through the fire standing by himself. Jesus was close around but didn’t reveal himself to him. He was just letting the fire build him in faith and understanding.
Listen friend, when you’re going through the fire, the Lord is close but he is just going to let you have it by yourself sometimes because He wants to make something out of you. But then when he got kicked out, that’s when Jesus came to him. Oh that’s when the Lord is so precious – when others have turned their backs on you.
That’s the reason in the Gospel of John, that beautiful account of the good shepherd follows this story. Because you see, organized religion can kick a man out but Jesus the Good Shepherd will come and take him in!
Jesus talked to him. He revealed himself to the man and said, “Do you believe?” “And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped him” (verse 38) Now I want to tell you that you’re operating on top level faith when you get to the place that you’ve gone through the fire and you don’t question Jesus and you don’t get upset when He comes to you and you’re able to bow before Him and look to Him and call Him “Lord” and really mean it.
You see, you’re operating on top- level faith when Jesus Christ becomes your Lord and Master and you worship Him. That’s top-level faith and enlightenment. To believe on Jesus, to have Him as your Lord, no longer just a man, no longer just a prophet, no longer just a man of God – but now He is Lord. He is the Lord to be worshiped.

 (John 6:22-35)
When the people sought Jesus after He had fed the multitude He said to them, “Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled” (v. 26).
Jesus did not rebuke the people for seeking for a sign, but rather He said to them, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life” (v. 27). When they asked, “What shall we do?” (v. 28), He replied, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (v. 29).
So then they said, “What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee?” (v. 30), using as an example the bread of manna which was given to their fathers in the wilderness. Instead of rebuking them for asking for a sign in order that they might see and believe, Jesus gave them a sign. It was the sign of the “true bread from heaven…, he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life to the world” (vv. 32, 33).

When the Jews specifically asked the Lord for a sign to document His authority for “doing these things” He pointed directly to the resurrection. “Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What SIGN shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up… When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said” (John 2:18-22).

a. Intransitive
      Thayer says, “To think to be true: to be persuaded of; to credit, place confidence in.”
       (1). Universally – “the thing believed being evident from the preceding context” (Mt. 24:23; Mk. 13:21; I Co. 11:18).

       (2) Specially – “in a moral and religious reference, PISTEUEIN is used in the New Testament of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of his soul:
           (a). absolutely, to trust in Jesus or in God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something (Mt. 8:18, Mk. 5:36);
           (b). of the credence given God’s messengers & their words.
           (c). used especially of the faith by which a man embraces Jesus, i.e., A CONVICTION, FULL OF JOYFUL TRUST, THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH – THE DIVINELY APPOINTED AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD, CONJOINED WITH  OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST” (Thayer, pp. 511-512).

b. Transitively
      “To entrust a thing to one, i.e., to his fidelity (Lk. 16:11; Jn. 2:24). Passively, to be entrusted with a thing” (Rom. 3:2).

 PISTEUO is used to simply acknowledge that God exists. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19).
       However, this acknowledgement of God must also be joined with trust. “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not” (Jude 5).
      With this trust in God we then are to trust His promises. “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3). This is further explained by Paul.

      Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all; (as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though there were.
      Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be (Romans 4:16-18).

Thayer says, “PISTEUO is applied also to the faith by which one is persuaded that Jesus was raised from the dead, inasmuch as by that fact God declared him to be His Son and the Messiah.”
      For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

      But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

      For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom. 10:4-13).

      John 11:14, 15 – “Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.”
      John 13:18, 19 – “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am (he).”
      John 14:28, 29 – “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.”
      John 19:34, 35 – “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.”

 John 20:31, 31 – “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

In this chapter also there is standing in the background the Feast of the Passover (verse 4). The Jewish Passover comes behind the scenes and helps John in the writing of this portion of his Gospel. From chapter five through ten there is one of the great Jewish festivals and holy days and religious ceremonies behind each one of those chapters.
This one is the Feast of the Passover. All that the Passover means to the Jews will emerge into the conversation and in the teachings and in the debates and in the struggles that happen in this chapter. Here, beginning the chapter with a great miracle of feeding, is an acted parable – a tremendous illustration of Jesus’ power and ability to give life and to give bread and to be life to all who receive Him.

In this chapter there is the doctrine of three breads that will be mentioned. First of all, there is the Passover bread–that unleavened bread that was made that night of deliverance when Israel was brought out of Egypt. There’s reference to it in this chapter.
There is also the wilderness manna – the bread that came down from heaven and fed Israel for so long a time. It’s also mentioned in this chapter, and this is another one of the great doctrines of the people.
Then there is also the idea of the future bread that would be eaten at the great Messianic banquet at the end of the age. We look toward it as the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
So here in chapter six, even though John doesn’t say much about the Lord’s Supper, he forms the entire theological basis for the Lord’s Supper-the breaking of bread and drinking of the fruit of the vine.

This chapter gives us some more of the purpose of John in writing the whole Gospel, because he is going to let us know everything that happens around the Passover. All Jewish holidays are somewhat fulfilled in Jesus and set aside, so that in Jesus Christ, now everything that the Jews hoped for they can find it through Him.
In Him is life and hope and He becomes the center of all worship – not only for the Jews, but for the whole wide world. Even though John writes at a time Jews world when the temple has already been destroyed and when the religion of the is on shaky ground, yet the message from John to Jews and to all the d is: “You don’t have to be afraid because the temple is destroyed.”
It is as though John is saying, “You don’t have to worry because your ritual and ceremony has ceased. You don’t have to worry because your whole system is in danger, because Jesus Christ has stepped onto the center of the stage of all time and in Him is the
focal point of what God does in this world now and in the world to come. Man has lost nothing at the losing of the Temple because we can still worship Jesus Christ who is the bread of life that has come down from heaven.” Hallelujah!
What a comfort it must have been to Jews who read this Gospel and also to Gentiles and others throughout the world who read its thrilling message for the very first time. While the temple has been destroyed in Jerusalem and the priests of Levi have been scattered throughout the whole world, nevertheless, wherever there are two or three gathered together in His name Christ is in the midst and there is worship in Spirit and in truth.

Then we see here the testing of Philip. Jesus knew what He was going to do, but He said, “Where are we going to buy bread to feed all these people?” And Philip figured it up real quick. He had 200 pennies evidently. He said, “This 200 pennies worth of bread wouldn’t even begin to feed this crowd.” Philip figured it all out from human reasoning and sort of got out his mental calculator for just a minute.
You know that’s the way a lot of people are about the Gospel and about the church and about the Holy Ghost. If they could figure it out, maybe they would believe they think. If somehow they just understood, well perhaps that would be more grounds to believe. But listen I want to tell you, God can do a lot of things for you and you never understand it.
You don’t have to understand all about salvation to be saved. All you have to do is believe on the Lord Jesus and be saved. You don’t have to understand all about the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit to receive Him. You can receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and not understand it at all and be used of the gifts of the Spirit and not understand it at all. It doesn’t take a lot of human reasoning and ability to understand what God does, so don’t worry about figuring out everything.
A lot of people would be in Pentecost if the y could figure it out first. But that is not the way it works. You just have to plunge in and enjoy the blessing and get the gift and worship the giver. Hallelujah! Let God have His way in your heart and let the figuring go to somebody else.
And Philip in all his figuring out couldn’t come with the right conclusion. He reasoned himself out of one of the greatest and grandest opportunities of his whole lifetime. He made excuses, excuses, excuses.

Andrew was there and he brought a little lad with a lunch. He was reluctant. He had a little spark of faith or hope or something. He had seen Jesus do some marvelous things, but he had just a little bit of faith and he brought this lad and said, “There is a lad here and he’s got a lunch but what are they among so many?”
That kind of philosophy just kills a lot of people. great things in this world if we didn’t bury ourselves in and withdraw and say, “What am I in the face of this great this church in the face of the challenge that’s around it?” We would do some negative thinking task?’ or “What is I want to tell you when God touches us, we can rise to any challenge He gives us. Any responsibility He wants us to perform, we can do it by the grace of God.
Now, Jesus instructed the disciples. They had been instructing Him and making excuses when He said give them to eat. Here they were, making excuses instructing Him to send them away. But Jesus changed it when He started giving instructions. They obeyed and the miracle took place.

Then He took the bread and fish and He did three things. First of all, He blessed it. He had it in His hands. He took it. He got it in His hands. He blessed it. And oh I tell you, a lot of people could do some great things for God if they could ever get themselves in the hand of the Lord Jesus Christ and let Him bless them.
As long as we keep ourselves at a distance from Him and from His divine will and we’re not in His hand completely, He can’t bless us and we can’t do much. But when we give ourselves completely to Him and let Him bless us, oh, what a blessing! What’s wrong with most people in churches now is they just simply need God to bless them. A lot of people are afraid to be blessed because they’re afraid of the next step.
After He blessed it, He broke it. A lot of people could be of great value and worth to the kingdom of God if they could be blessed and then be broken.
Then He gave this bread and fish and just fed a great multitude. Everybody was satisfied. Everybody was filled full. They had an abundance left over which lets me know that Jesus can give life. To use the words of John in this Gospel, “Jesus can give life, and life more abundantly.”
Every miracle He performs, He has got a lot more power in reserve that He doesn’t even have to use. Every time He saves a soul, He’s got a lot more grace that He can use to save a million more. Every time He heals, He only uses a little bit of His virtue and healing power. He’s got a whole powerhouse left yet that He has not exhausted to bring healing and blessing. Oh, this speaks of abundance of God’s grace and provisions. God has an abundance of blessings of joy unspeakable and full of glory. When we experience His blessings we feel like the Queen of Sheba who said, “The half has never been told.”

I imagine when that little boy went home with baskets overflowing, because there were twelve there, I think that this little boy probably got his share. I imagine that as Philip watched him walk off with the biggest smile on his face, Philip probably was beating himself and saying, “Just think! a few moments ago, the Master offered me that same deal and I turned it down.”
How many of us who could have been great have stood almost with envy and bitterness as we watch little lads or somebody else with lad like faith obeying the Lord and God touching them and using them and we said, “I could have done that. I could have been there. The Lord called me. He offered me that job.”
Anyway, I want to tell you that when the Lord offers you a deal and it may sound impossible, don’t you back up on Him. But oh, hallelujah, just say, “All right Lord, all I am and all I have I give it to you in your hands. You just bless me and you just break me and you just give me and you jus t use me Lord anyway you want to. I’m giving you myself.”
So this illustrates you see an acted parable illustrating the Almighty power of Jesus Christ to give an abundance of the living bread – abundance of the bread of life from heaven.

Caiaphas is clearly identified as the high priest at the time of the death of Christ (Mt. 26:57; Jn. 18:13). Luke also says that he was the high priest during the ministry of John the Baptist (Lk. 3:2) and was present when Peter and John were called before the Sanhedrin after the outpouring of Pentecost (Acts 4:6).

The exact sequence of Jesus’ appearances before Annas and Caiaphas is not real clear. However, it seems that after the Lord’s arrest in the garden the soldiers went by the house of Annas on their way to see Caiaphas. While some scholars feel that the inquiry in John actually took place before Annas, this dialogue, which is quite different from the one in the Synoptics, probably was a preliminary questioning by Caiaphas.

Because of the importance of his priestly functions the high priest had to put on the high priestly garments before entering the tabernacle. “And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his own, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office” (Exodus 28:4).
a. The Ephod
The ephod, which was worn over the long robe, was made “of gold, of blue and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined lined with cunning work” (Ex. 28:6). A “curious girdle,” or beautiful sash also of gold, blue, purple, scarlet and fine twined linen, was worn with the ephod. It was joined together at the shoulders with two onyx stones, each of which was engraved with the names of six of the twelve tribes. “And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial …and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord” (Ex. 28:12).
b. The Breastplate
The “breastplate of Judgment” was a pouch approximately nine inches square and made of the same material as the ephod and girdle. It was held by two golden chains which were attached to the ephod on the shoulder pieces but hung down just over the heart of the high priest. It contained twelve precious stones, each one engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. “And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, 4 for a memorial before the Lord continually” (Exodus 28:29). Placed inside the “breastplate of judgment” were the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30) which were used at times in order to help determine the will of God (Numbers 27:21 etc.)
c. The Robe of the Ephod
The robe of the ephod “seems to have been a sleeveless tunic, made of blue, fringed with alternate bells and pomegranates” (ISBE, P. 2442). “And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not” (Exodus 28:35).
d. The Headdress
The “mitre,” or headpiece, was adorned with a golden plate that was especially significant.
And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord (Exodus 28:36-38).

When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement he was careful to sanctify himself, the people, and the sanctuary. Having offered the appropriate sacrifices he carefully washed at the laver, trimmed the candlestick, set the shewbread, offered the incense and then entered to meet with God. When he stood before God at the Ark of the Covenant he bore on his shoulders and his heart the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, ready to intercede on their behalf.

John does not give the specific questions that both Matthew and Mark record. For his purpose it is sufficient to say that he “asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.” Jesus replied that He had spoken plainly and openly to the multitudes in the temple, the synagogue and in other popular gathering places and did not have a message just for a few select people in secret. This did not mean that Jesus did not teach small groups – we know that He did. However, His message to them was the same message as to the multitudes.
There are some people today that would like for us to think that God has given to them some secret revelation. That’s like those television commercials that claim that Jesus came to America and gave a special revelation to the founder of the Mormon religion. So some today claim that God has told them this, or God has told them that. However, you can rest assured that God has no secret message. He proclaims the same truth from the pulpits of the churches from the north, south, east and west. 6 Oh yes, there are men and women like Caiaphas that are more interested in his disciples and his doctrine than they are in knowing about the Lord. There can be almost any message from such hearts. But it’s not from God unless it’s the same message that Jesus Himself proclaimed in public and still burns into the hearts of those who seek to know Him through His Spirit and Word.

The Lord now questions Caiaphas. “Why askest thou me? Ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.” Jesus is not being a “smart aleck.” Neither is He being disrespectful. This was a judicial trial. It was the responsibility of the high priest to produce at least two witnesses to substantiate the accusation. The accused certainly did not have to incriminate himself. So also today the Lord turns the question on those who ask about His disciples and His doctrine. “Why ask me? Ask those which heard me!” Ask the man born blind from birth whose eyes were opened what He teaches. Ask Lazarus who was raised from the dead what doctrine He teaches. Ask the alcoholic who found a better drink; ask the prostitute who found a true friend; ask the bereaved who have been comforted through the valley of the shadow of death; ask the wretched sinner whose sins have been forgiven – go ahead, ask those who have heard, and the answer will always be the same. “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see (John 9:25).
Some have suggested that when Jesus said, “Ask them which heard me,” that He pointed to some of those standing by. We don’t know that, but it certainly is reasonable that many of those in the crowd had heard Him speak during the past three and a half years. But not one witness was able to bring a charge against the Lord who had spoken openly among them and even the false witnesses could not agree.

After the Lord instructed the high priest to produce the witnesses, “One of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?” The word translated “officer” is HUPERETES (#5257) and means “a servant; in the N.T. of the officers and attendants of magistrates” (Thayer, p. 641). So it was one of the servants of the high priest, and not a Roman officer, who struck Christ. Even though the KJV says he “struck with the palm of his hand,” the literal phrase is, “he gave a blow” (EDOKEN HRAPISMA). While a HRAPISMA was a “slap with the hand” it seems to have been connected with the root word meaning a rod or stick (HRABDOS, #4464). Therefore, it would have been a very jarring blow like one with a stick, even though it was actually given with the hand. With the blow the servant reprimanded the Lord for speaking thus to the high priest.

The Lord simply spoke back to his smiter, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?” Some have accused the Lord of not following his own dictum, “But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39). However, He does indeed turn the other cheek as His accusers continue to smite Him. 7  But that does not mean that it is wrong to speak forth a rebuke when it is warranted. The servant was so blinded by his worldly loyalty to the corrupt high priest that he violated the very standard which the high priest was charged to uphold. The Lord was in fact showing mercy to the servant by letting him know that such blind loyalty to an earthly tyrant is not right. Even though he be called the high priest, there is no wrong in speaking the truth even though it might seem to be an affront to the office.

In the fifth and twelfth chapters John list five reasons why some do not believe in Jesus Christ.
a. They do not have His Word abiding within (John 5:38).
b. They “will” to “not come” to him (John 5:4).
c. They receive honor one from another (John 5:44).
d. They did not believe Moses (John 5:45-47).
e. Their hearts were hardened and eyes blinded (John 12:36-43).

In the sixth chapter John explains that “many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:65). When Jesus asked the disciples, “Will ye also go away?” Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the Living God” (John
6:67-69).

When the Jews persecuted Jesus because He had healed the lame man at the pool of Bethesda on the sabbath He plainly said to them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:29).
As He ministered in private to the Disciples in the upper room He said to them, “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am (he)” (John 13:19). In His intercessory prayer on the night He was betrayed the Lord prayed to the Father, “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me” (John 17:8). Later in the same prayer He said, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word” (v. 20). John explicitly explains in the key verse for this lecture, “But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31).

In concluding the third chapter John explains, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).
The phrase, “he that believeth not” (HO APEITHON, literally, “the disobeying one”), is a present participle denoting a continual state of being in unbelief or of disobedience. The phrase, “God abideth on him,” (MENEI EP AUTON) is also present tense. The wrath of God remains upon him as long as he remains in a present state of unbelief and disobedience.

In His discourse on the light of the world and the ensuing dialogue with the Jews, the Lord used the divine expression, “I am” (EGO EIMI) nine times (8:12, 16, 18, 23, 24, 27, 58; 9:5).
He explains to them that while they are “from beneath,” He is “from above” and “not of this world” (v. 23). Then He says, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am (he), ye shall die in your sins” (v. 24).

However, when the unbeliever dies in his sin that does not mean that is the end of the matter. Even though one may reject the Word of the Lord in this life, (s)he will yet face those Words in eternity. “And if any hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47, 48).

(John 5:24) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

 (John 6:29) “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

(John 6:35) “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

(John 7:38, 39) “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified).”

(John 8:31, 32) “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

(John 12:36; 46) “While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.” “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”

(John 14:12) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my father”

(John 16:27) “For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.”

(John 17:20, 21) “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, are in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

But the life of eternity is not simply an eternal continuation of this present life. It is a new life because it is a resurrected life. Jesus explained this to the Jews in John 6:37-40.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Even though Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead He was careful to explain to Martha that there would come another resurrection in which the believer would never die (John 11:23-26). Jesus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

The believer’s life is not simply a transitory existence in this world. Neither is it only an eternal continuation of the splendors of this world. Rather the believer is assured that there will be an eternal life of the glory which only the Father can give. It is the glory which this world cannot ever know. It is the glory of the love of God Himself which He had with the Son before the worlds were ever formed (John 17:22-26). And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 0 righteous
Father, the world hath not known thee: But I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them that name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast love me may be in them, and I in them.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:43-44, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully  use you, and persecute you.”
      Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved” (II Corinthians 12:15)

John said in I John 4:7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God.”
      He then explains how true love is manifested. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:9-10).
      Therefore, John explains, there is an obligation on our part to love one another. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God
at any time. If we love one another, God  welleth in us, and his love is perfected in us” (I John 4:11-12).

Paul explains to the Romans, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

Paul admonished the Ephesians to love as Christ loved. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling saviour” (Ephesians 4:32-5:2).

 John explains, “The Father loveth the Son, and bath given all things into his hand” (John 3:35). At the Lord’s baptism the Father said, “This is my beloved Son (HO AGAPAYTOS), in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17) and reaffirmed that same love on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:5).

 Jesus explained that it is impossible to serve two masters because of the very nature of AGAPAO love. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
      The apostle Paul connects love with the calling that fulfills the purpose of God and shows how they relate to the benevolent providence of God. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
      James explains the rewards of eternity flow out of love that constrains the saint to faithfulness even during times of hardship. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12).

The writer to the Hebrews quotes the Psalmist in describing the Son’s love for righteousness which is the symbol and authority of His Kingdom. “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, 0 God is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Hebrews 1:8, 9).
      In a negative way Jesus illustrates the love of the Jews for the applause of this world that is so great they will not forsake it even though they also believed on Jesus. “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise o men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42, 43).
      Jesus condemned the Pharisees because they loved the prestigious seats of the synagogue and rabbinical greetings more than they loved God. “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.”
      The Scripture plainly declares that the love of God and the love for this world are simply not capable of being mingled together and we must forsake the latter if we are to experience the first (I John 2:15-17).

      Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is  of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 In possibly the last recorded words we have Paul, the Apostle speaks warmly of the reward he and the faithful saints will soon receive. In doing so he expresses the love that yearns to see the Lord in His personal presence. “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (II Timothy 4:8).

Jesus compared the love of family members and the love His followers have for their Lord. “He that loveth (PHILEO) father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth (PHILEO) son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).
      This PHILEO love is not limited to human affection. Jesus described the relationship between Him and the Father. “For the Father loveth (PHILEO) the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel” (John 5:20).

Jesus described the love of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:5, 6. “But all their works they do for to be seen of men; they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love (PHILEO) the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues.”
      John the Revelator described the affection of sinners for falsehood. “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth (PHILEO) and believeth a lie” (Rev. 22:15).

Jesus used PHILEO to describe the natural tendency of man to love the present life in John 12:25. “He that loveth (PHILEO) his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”
      Again Jesus used PHILEO to describe the hypocrites’ love for ostentation. “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love (PHILEO) to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward” (Matthew 6:5).

“Phileo means TO BE A FRIEND TO (FOND OF, i.e., HAVE AFFECTION for) denoting PERSONAL attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling; while AGAPAO is wider, embracing especially the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety. While PHILEO is chiefly that of the heart, AGAPAO is of the head.”

 In almost all these passages of the New Testament, the Vulgate, by the help of DILIGO and AMO, has preserved a distinction which we have let go. This is especially to be regretted at John 21:15-17.; for the passing there of the original from one word to the other is singularly instructive, and should by no means escape us unnoticed.
In that threefold “Lovest thou Me?” which the risen Lord addresses to Peter, He  asks him first, AGAPAS ME; At this moment, when all the pulses in the heart of the now penitent Apostle are beating with a passionate affection toward his Lord, this word sounds far too cold to very imperfectly express the warmth of his affection toward Him.
The question in any form would have been grievous enough (ver. 17); the language in which it is clothed makes it more grievous still. He therefore in his answer substitutes for the AGAPAS of Christ the word of a more personal love, PHILO SE (ver. 15). And this he does not on the first occasion only, but again upon a second. And now at length he has triumphed; for when his Lord puts the question to him a third time, it is not AGAPAS any more, but PHILEIS. All this subtle and delicate play of feeling disappears perforce, in a translation which either does not care, or is not able, to reproduce the variation in the words as it exists in the original.

“for God so LOVED the world, that he gave” (3:16)
“men LOVED darkness rather than light” (3:19)
“the Father LOVETH the Son” (3:35)
“If God were your Father, ye would LOVE me”
(8:42) “Therefore DOTH my Father LOVE me” (10:17)
“Now Jesus LOVED Martha, and her sister” (11:5)
“they LOVED the praise of men more” (12:43)
“HAVING LOVED his own which were in the world he LOVED them” (13:1)
“One of his disciples, whom Jesus LOVED” (13:23)
“LOVE one another; as I HAVE LOVED YOU, that ye also LOVE” (13:34)
“If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments” (14:15)
“He it is that LOVETH me;
and he THAT LOVETH me SHALL BE LOVED of my Father,
and I will LOVE him” (14:21)
“If a man LOVE me, he will keep my words;
and my Father WILL LOVE him” (14:23)
“He that LOVETH ME not keepeth not my sayings” (14:24)
“If ye LOVED me, ye would rejoice” (14:28)
“world may know that I LOVE the Father (14:31)
“As the Father HATH LOVED me, so HAVE I LOVED you” (15:9)
“That ye LOVE one another as I HAVE LOVED you” (15:12)
“I command you, that ye LOVE one another” (15:17)
“HAST LOVED them, as thou HAST LOVED me” (17:23)
“thou LOVEDST me before the foundation of the world” (17:24)
“the love wherewith thou HAST LOVED me” (17:26)
“the disciple standing by, whom he LOVED” (19:26)
“that disciple whom Jesus LOVED saith” (21:7)
“(son) of Jonas, LOVEST thou me more than” (21:15)
“Simon, (son) of Jonas, LOVEST thou me” (21:16)
“the disciple whom Jesus LOVED following” (21:20)

Thayer gives the following lexical breakdown of SEMEION (pages 573574). His basic definition is, “A SIGN, MARK, TOKEN.” 2
a. Universally – that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and known.
Matthew 26:48 – “Now he that betrayed him gave them a SIGN, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; hold him fast.”
Luke 2:12 – “And this shall be a SIGN unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
II Thessalonians 3:17 – “The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.”
(1). Circumcision, which should be a sign of the covenant formed with God.
Romans 4:11 – “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised.”
(2). Signs of the Apostles – the tokens by which one is proved to be an apostle.
II Corinthians 12:12 – “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.”
(3). The Sign of His Coming.
Matthew 24:3 – “And as he sat upon the mount of olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
Luke 21:7 – “And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?”
Mark 13:4 – “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?”
(4). The Sign of the Son of Man
Matthew 24:30 – “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
(5). An Admonition – A sign by which one is warned
I Corinthians 14:22 – “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.”
(6). Persons as Signs – Used of noteworthy personages, by whom God forcibly admonishes men and indicates to them that which he would have them to do.
(a) Jonah
Luke 11:29, 30 – “And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but 3 the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.”
Matthew 12:38-41 – “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas; For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.”
(b). Christ
Luke 2:34 – “And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against.”
b. A Sign, Prodigy, Portent
An unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature.
(1). Signs Portending Remarkable Events Soon to Happen
Luke 21:11 – “And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.”
Luke 21:25 – “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and waves roaring.”
Acts 2:19 – “And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.”
Revelation 12:1-4 – “And there appeared a great WONDER in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another WONDER in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.”
Revelation 15:1 – “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.”
(2). Authenticating Signs
SEMEION is used of miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God’s. 4
Matthew 12:38 (see above, page 3)
Matthew 16:1-4 – “The Pharisees also with the Sadduccees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering.
O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.” (See also Mark 8:11,12).
(3). Deceiving Signs by False Prophets
Matthew 24:24 – “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
Mark 13:21, 22 – “And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: for false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs (SEMEION) and wonders (TERATA), to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.”
Revelation 13:11-18 – “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
“And he doeth great wonders (SEMEIA), so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles (SEMEIA) which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred three score and six.”
Revelation 16:13, 14 – “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles (SEMEIA), which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” 5
Revelation 19:20 – “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
II Thessalonians 2:6-10 – “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked by revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs (SEMEIA) and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved.”

This hour means not only doing the will of the Father, but this hour means also death. For He says, “Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone.” He is saying that there is no way for a life to reproduce itself unless there is first death. Every seed that bears fruit and life and reproduces itself must first of all lose its own identity. It must die just as a grain of wheat falls into the ground and loses its shape and its identity and it dies only to have coming out of that very death and out of the remains of the ashes of that burned out life, a new plant of life that will spring forth and multiply itself many times and bear fruit.